April 4, 2019 – Pope Francis names Atlanta Archbishop Wilton Gregory as the new archbishop of Washington, succeeding Cardinal Donald Wuerl, who served as Washington’s archbishop from June 2006 until October 2018. That morning at a press conference at the Archdiocese of Washington’s Pastoral Center, Archbishop Gregory pledges to an archdiocese shaken by the abuse allegations against former cardinal and archbishop Theodore McCarrick, “I will rebuild your trust.”
April 5, 2019 – The day after being appointed to Washington, Archbishop Wilton Gregory begins to get to know his new home, visiting the headquarters of Catholic Charities, then St. Anthony Catholic School, and later the Jeanne Jugan Residence for the elderly poor operated by the Little Sisters of the Poor in Washington. He concludes his day by celebrating Mass at the archdiocese’s Saint John Paul II Seminary, where in his opening prayer he addresses the seminarians as “my dear young brothers” and says in his homily, “Like you, I’m on a journey to Christ.”
May 21, 2019 – Archbishop Wilton Gregory is installed as the seventh archbishop of Washington during a Mass of Installation at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. In his homily, he reflects on the story of how when Jesus was in the boat with His disciples when seas were stormy, He brought them back safely to shore. “He invites us to place our trust in Him,” the archbishop says.
May 26, 2019 – Archbishop Gregory celebrates his first Mass as archbishop of Washington at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, where the rector, Msgr. W. Ronald Jameson, says, “Today we welcome you to your cathedral.”
May 27, 2019 – At a Memorial Day Mass attended by 400 people at Resurrection Cemetery in Clinton, Maryland, Archbishop Gregory says, “We remember countless men and women who offered their lives in selfless service to our country so we can be free.”
May 29, 2019 – At a baccalaureate Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for the graduating students of Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School in Takoma Park, Archbishop Gregory encourages them to follow their dreams and help build a better world. Don Bosco Cristo Rey, which offers students from low-income families a college preparatory curriculum and an innovative Corporate Work Study Program, is sponsored by the archdiocese and the Salesians of Don Bosco.
June 2, 2019 – Archbishop Gregory, the first African American archbishop of Washington, is greeted with shouts of joy when he appears in the doorway to celebrate Mass at St. Augustine Church in Washington, D.C. St. Augustine, the mother church of African American Catholics in the nation’s capital, was founded in 1858 by free men and women of color, including some people emancipated from slavery. In his homily, Archbishop Gregory says, “I stand on holy ground, as do all of you when you gather each Sunday for the Eucharist… Today a son of the African diaspora stands in your midst as the shepherd of the entire family of faith that is the Archdiocese of Washington.”
June 15, 2019 – In a Mass at the National Shrine, Archbishop Gregory ordains 10 new priests for the Archdiocese of Washington. In his homily, he encourages them to model their lives after Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and reflect Christ’s love as they carry out their priestly ministry.
June 16, 2019 – Archbishop Gregory praises the love and faith of 440 couples from across the archdiocese marking milestone wedding anniversaries at the annual Jubilarian Mass at the National Shrine.
June 21, 2019 – In an interview with the Catholic Standard newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington, Archbishop Gregory praises actions taken by the nation’s bishops at their June 11-13 meeting to address the abuse crisis in the Catholic Church, saying it involves “a procedure for receiving and reviewing allegations of inappropriate behavior on the part of bishops involving the abuse of minors or sexual harassment,” building on the 2002 Dallas charter for the protection of young people. The archbishop adds, “the bedrock issue should be the respect and treatment of those victims and survivors who may have been disbelieved, ignored and certainly insulted when they came forward with their claims in the past.”
June 22, 2019 – Ordaining nine new permanent deacons for the archdiocese during a Mass at the National Shrine, Archbishop Wilton Gregory notes that deacons since the Church’s beginning have been called by the Holy Spirit to serve the Church and witness to the faith as they lead people to Christ.
July 6, 2019 – Archbishop Gregory celebrates the closing Mass at the National Harbor in Maryland for the Archbishop Lyke Conference that seeks to enrich liturgies and ministries and promote evangelization at parishes serving Black Catholics.
July 14, 2019 – Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the pope’s apostolic nuncio to the United States, confers the pallium, a lambs wool band, around the neck and over the shoulders of Archbishop Wilton Gregory as a sign of his office as archbishop of Washington during a Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, saying it reflects his unity and communion with the Holy See and represents the bonds of love and courage a shepherd must have in serving his flock.
July 21, 2019 – Archbishop Gregory celebrates a Mass marking the 160th anniversary of St. Ignatius of Loyola Church in Hilltop, Maryland, praising the “faithful fidelity” that parishioners have reflected for generations in that small parish in rural Charles County.
July 27, 2019 – Archbishop Gregory celebrates a Mass for seminarians and their families at the 13th annual Seminarian Family Day at St. Patrick Church in Rockville, Maryland.
Aug. 1, 2019 – In a statement, Archbishop Gregory urges an end to divisive, disrespectful speech, saying recent public statement by President Trump and others “have deepened divisions and diminished our national life.” The archbishop’s statement calls on people to reject language “that ridicules, condemns or vilifies another person because of their race, religion, gender, age, culture or ethnic background.”
Aug. 2, 2019 – Archbishop Gregory offers the invocation at the official opening and ribbon cutting of the Providence Urgent Care Center in Northeast Washington, D.C., at the site of the former Providence Hospital, which had been founded by the Daughters of Charity in 1861 and has served patients in Washington for more than 150 years.
Aug. 13, 2019 – Addressing young adult Catholics at a Theology on Tap gathering at Public Bar Live in Washington, D.C., Archbishop Gregory encourages them to be active members of the Church, saying, “You cannot be a Catholic and sit on the sidelines.”
Aug. 26, 2019 – Celebrating the Opening of Schools Mass at the National Shrine for Catholic school teachers and administrators in the archdiocese, Archbishop Gregory encouraged them to turn to the Holy Spirit to guide their work in the new school year. Also at the Mass, Catholic schools and educators marking milestone anniversaries were honored for their service.
Aug. 28, 2019 – Archbishop Gregory celebrates an opening school year Mass for students and faculty at Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington, for seminarians at the Saint John Paul II Seminary later that day, and at Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School in Takoma Park on Aug. 30.
Sept. 5, 2019 – At a Mass at St. Mary’s Ryken High School in Leonardtown, Maryland, Archbishop Gregory installs Dr. Rick Wood as the school’s new president and CEO, and during his visit there, he also blesses Ryken’s recently constructed Donnie Williams Center, which includes new courts for volleyball and basketball and other athletic facilities.
Sept. 8, 2019 – Joining religious leaders and members of different faiths at the annual Unity Walk sponsored by the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington, Archbishop Gregory says that event shows that people of different faiths “are intended to live together in harmony” and “intended to walk together into the future.”
Sept. 13, 2019 – Washington’s new archbishop celebrates Masses at Holy Cross Church in Garrett Park, Maryland, for students of Holy Cross School, and at the nearby Academy of the Holy Cross in Kensington to mark the feast day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, and tells students that the cross offers a reminder of “just how much Jesus loves us.”
Sept. 14, 2019 – At the Mid-Maryland Mission of Mercy hosted by Catholic Charities and the University of Maryland, Archbishop Gregory greets some of the 1,100 patients who received dental care at the two-day clinic for the uninsured and underinsured, and also meets and thanks some of the 500 volunteer dental and medical professionals serving there.
Sept. 17, 2019 – Celebrating a Mass marking the 60th anniversary of Elizabeth Seton High School in Bladensburg, Maryland, Archbishop Gregory encourages the young women there to emulate their school’s patron saint, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, a pioneer in Catholic education who in 1975 became the first citizen born in the United States to be named a saint.
Sept. 21, 2019 – Celebrating a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Matthew’s Cathedral for noted broadcast journalist and author Cokie Roberts, Archbishop Gregory said, “We rejoice in her humor, her conviction of faith, and her womanly ability to bring out the best in us – and to insist on nothing less.”
Sept. 22, 2019 – Archbishop Gregory celebrates Mass at St. Francis of Assisi Deaf Catholic Church in Landover Hills, with his spoken words communicated in American Sign Language to the congregation, which included students from Gallaudet University, the liberal arts university in Washington, D.C., that serves deaf and hard of hearing students.
Sept. 26, 2019 – During a visit to St. Joseph’s Regional Catholic School in Beltsville, Maryland, Archbishop Wilton Gregory makes a surprise announcement that the school is one of four Catholic elementary schools in the Archdiocese of Washington to be named as 2019 National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education, joining St. Peter’s School on Capitol Hill, Blessed Sacrament School in Washington, D.C., and St. Raphael School in Rockville, Maryland, in receiving that honor. The archbishop visits St. Peter’s School later that day and celebrates a Grandparents Day Mass for the St. Raphael School community the next day.
Sept. 29, 2019 – Celebrating a Mass for the 100th anniversary of St. Gabriel Parish in Washington, D.C., on the feast day of St. Gabriel the archangel, Archbishop Gregory encourages parishioners to emulate their patron saint by being “loving (and) compassionate to those who look to you, hoping that you are the angels that your name suggests.”
Oct. 2, 2019 – Archbishop Gregory blesses the new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Spacemaker Lab during a ribbon cutting ceremony at Holy Family School in Hillcrest Heights, Maryland.
Oct. 5, 2019 – After celebrating a Mass at Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School in Washington, D.C., Archbishop Gregory blesses the school’s new Berchmans Hall, named for Visitation Sister Mary Berchmans Hannan who has played a leading role at the Catholic high school for young women for more than six decades, serving over the years as a teacher, Head of School and president there. Berchmans Hall includes an art studio, classrooms for math and science and laboratories.
Oct. 6, 2019 – At the annual Red Mass held at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C., Archbishop Gregory encourages those in law to reflect God’s justice and mercy.
Oct. 13, 2019 – Archbishop Gregory presides at the dedication and blessing of the James M. Sullivan Memorial House on the campus of Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Potomac, Maryland, a home for three young women with developmental differences.
Oct. 17, 2019 – Archbishop Gregory blesses a solar array being installed on five acres of Catholic Charities’ land surrounding the Missionaries of Charity’s Gift of Peace Home. The array of 5,072 panels expected to be operational by early 2020 will be the largest such solar project built thus far in Washington, D.C. The proceeds will offset nearly all of the energy costs of Catholic Charities’ 12 properties in the District of Columbia. In his prayer of blessing, the archbishop asks God to “bless this solar array to produce energy from the light of day which you created.”
Oct. 19, 2019 – Celebrating a Mass for 600 religious educators gathered for the archdiocese’s annual Catechetical Day at Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, Maryland, Archbishop Gregory thanks them for their ministry of teaching and sharing the faith.
Oct. 20, 2019 – At a Mass celebrating the 150th anniversary of St. Ann Parish in Washington, D.C., Archbishop Gregory says, “St. Ann’s continues to be a beacon of hope to so many who come to worship, to be educated in the faith, to be renewed by the grace of the sacraments, and to be served in truth and charity.”
Oct. 23, 2019 – Before speaking at a reception celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Archdiocese’s Victory Housing program, Archbishop Gregory visits the Victory Heights apartment building in Washington’s Columbia Heights neighborhood, which provides 75 affordable apartment units for independent seniors. Victory Housing operates 31 communities with 2,280 units, including apartments for seniors, assisted living for the frail elderly and affordable apartments for low- and moderate-income families. In an interview, the archbishop said Victory Housing’s outreach shows “the Church is where it should be, in the midst of the lives of our people.”
Oct. 27, 2019 – In his homily at St. Matthew’s Cathedral for the Archdiocese of Washington’s 10th annual White Mass that recognizes the dignity of persons with special needs and their families and those who care for them, Archbishop Gregory says, “The great diversity of God’s world is a sign of God’s own splendor and goodness.”
Nov. 5-7, 2019 – Archbishop Gregory joins nearly 200 priests of the Archdiocese of Washington and the archdiocese’s auxiliary and retired bishops for three days of prayer and fellowship at the Convocation of Priests in Cambridge, Maryland. In his column for the Catholic Standard, the archbishop writes, “It was a much needed positive encounter for this presbyterate, especially after having endured such a painful past year. In many ways, it could not have come at a better moment for this local Church.”
Nov. 21, 2019 – Speaking at a panel on “The Francis Factor Today” cosponsored by Georgetown University’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, Archbishop Gregory says Pope Francis “is a pastor, and he approaches the papacy from that perspective.”
Nov. 23, 2019 – Before celebrating a Mass inaugurating the 100th anniversary of Holy Redeemer Parish in Washington, Archbishop Gregory participates in a groundbreaking for the parish’s planned “Welcome Annex” that will include an elevator offering accessibility for senior citizens and other Massgoers.
Nov. 26, 2019 – Archbishop Gregory celebrates a Thanksgiving Mass for students at St. Anthony Catholic School in Washington, D.C. The students’ offertory gifts at the Mass include some of the food they had collected in a large Thanksgiving drive for their parish’s St. Anthony’s Bread/St. Vincent de Paul Emergency Food Pantry.
Dec. 3, 2019 – Archbishop Gregory says the Ad Limina meeting in Rome that he and fellow Catholic bishops from Washington and other U.S. dioceses had with Pope Francis offered a “give and take dialogue with the successor of Peter… He spoke from his heart and suggested that we be as candid and open as he was with us.”
Dec. 5, 2019 – At a Mass with U.S. bishops at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, Archbishop Gregory says that just as children run to their mother’s arms in times of trouble, so too should Catholics, including popes and bishops, turn to Mary to seek her wisdom and protection.
Dec. 7, 2019 – Archbishop Gregory marks his 72nd birthday.
Dec. 14, 2019 – Following the Archdiocese of Washington’s annual Walk with Mary procession to the National Shrine, Archbishop Gregory celebrates a Mass honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of the Americas.
Dec. 23, 2019 – Joining Filipino Catholics at St. Columba Church in Oxon Hill, Maryland, for a traditional Simbang Gabi Mass before Christmas, Archbishop Gregory praised them for their faith and devotion and for helping to shine Christ's light in the world. “Our Filipino brothers and sisters use this time of year to prepare their hearts for the coming of Christ,” the archbishop said at the final Mass in a novena of nine evening Masses held at the church leading up to Christmas.
Dec. 24, 2019 – Celebrating his first Christmas Mass as archbishop of Washington at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, Archbishop Gregory notes that Christmas is often seen as a special day for children, but he adds that Christmas is also an important holy day for adults to open their hearts to Christ – “...None of us who comes close to this infant and opens our hearts to Him will ever be the same again.”
Jan. 1, 2020 – On New Year’s Day, which also marks the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God and the day when the people of Haiti celebrate their nation’s independence, Archbishop Gregory celebrates a Mass for Haitian Catholics at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Washington, D.C. The Mass celebrating faith and freedom was marked by reverent prayers and joyful songs in French and Creole, and Archbishop Gregory praised the faith and depth of character of the Haitian people, who in recent years have endured several natural disasters in that island nation.
Jan. 14, 2020 – Archbishop Gregory celebrates a Mass for St. Mary’s School of Piscataway in Clinton, Maryland, and then blesses the school’s new Media Center, the remodeled school library that features an expanded selection of books and state-of-the-art technology including virtual reality goggles and new educational software.
Jan. 18, 2020 – Celebrating the Archdiocese of Washington’s annual Mass honoring the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Washington, D.C., Archbishop Gregory says the proper way to honor the late civil rights leader is to “develop our own characters according to the highest principles of our nation and religious heritage.”
Jan. 24, 2020 – At the Youth Rally and Mass for Life at the Capital One Arena, Archbishop Gregory celebrates a Mass for the 18,000 teens and young adults attending the archdiocese’s largest annual event. The archbishop says seeing so many young people there shows that the Church’s “witness to the dignity of life is youthful and has a future.”
Jan. 26, 2020 – Archbishop Gregory opens Catholic Schools Week at St. Andrew Apostle Church in Silver Spring, Maryland, encouraging students from the parish’s school to be disciples of Christ in sharing the Good News of the Gospel. He also celebrates Catholic Schools Week Masses at Mother Catherine Academy in Mechanicsville, Maryland, on Jan. 28, and for students from St. Francis International School in Silver Spring, Maryland, on Jan. 29.
Jan. 30, 2020 – After a Mass at Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, Maryland, Archbishop Gregory blesses the construction site for the school’s future Student Life Center. That new facility, expected to be completed in 2021, will include an all-school dining space and event space, and classrooms for the arts.
Feb. 1, 2020 – Archbishop Gregory celebrates a Mass marking the 25th anniversary of Jesus the Divine Word Parish in Huntingtown, Maryland, praising clergy and laity for the “strong foundation of faith in this community,” and adding, “You should all rejoice in what God has accomplished in you.”
Feb. 2, 2020 – To mark the World Day for Consecrated Life, Archbishop Gregory celebrates a Mass at the St. Ursula Chapel of the Archdiocese of Washington’s Pastoral Center honoring 17 local women and men in consecrated life marking milestone anniversaries this year.
Feb. 5, 2020 – Celebrating a Mass at Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington, D.C., in honor of African American History Month, Archbishop Gregory tells students that in learning more about the heritage of men and women of color, “we might be encouraged to believe that we, too, can be contributors to the future.”
Feb. 26, 2020 – At an Ash Wednesday Mass at St. Matthew’s Cathedral opening the season of Lent, Archbishop Gregory encouraged Catholics to “continue to be ambassadors for Christ long after the ashes are washed away.”
Feb. 28, 2020 – Celebrating the opening Mass at the 2020 Catholic Partnership Summit in Washington, D.C, that brought together Catholic leaders from across the United States, Archbishop Gregory says Jesus emphasized that leadership within the Church “has always been identified with service and never merely to be equated with title or rank.” That emphasis on service resonates with young Catholics that the Church needs for its future leadership, he adds.
March 1, 2020 – Presiding at the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on the first of two successive Sundays, Archbishop Gregory welcomes the 1,100 people in the Archdiocese of Washington preparing to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church this Easter, and expresses “how happy we are to have you join us on the journey of faith.”
March 12, 2020 – Archbishop Gregory blesses and cuts the ribbon on the new Jim Vance Media Center at Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington, D.C., named for the veteran NBC4 news anchor who died in 2017. The media center, which was praised for continuing Vance’s legacy of journalism and support for education, includes broadcast and recording studios, editing booths and master control rooms.
March 12, 2020 – In a statement from the Archdiocese of Washington, Archbishop Gregory announces that in response to public health recommendations from local government leaders regarding the potential spread of coronavirus, Masses open to the public in all archdiocesan parishes, missions and campus ministries will not be celebrated starting March 14 until further notice. The archdiocese also announces that its Catholic schools will be closed from March 16-27, and later extends those closures through the rest of that spring following the public safety directives of local educational leaders. The archbishop also issues a dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass during this time to all parishioners of the Archdiocese of Washington.
In the archdiocese’s statement, Archbishop Gregory says, “We are aware of the rapidly developing district and state guidelines regarding the coronavirus. My number one priority as your archbishop is to ensure the safety and health of all who attend our Masses, the children in our schools, and those we welcome through our outreach and services. Please know that this decision does not come lightly to close our schools or cancel Masses. We are profoundly saddened that we are not able to celebrate our sacraments as a community for the time being, but we know Christ remains with us at all times – specifically in times of worry like this.”
April 11, 2020 – Marking his first Easter as the archbishop of Washington, Archbishop Wilton Gregory celebrates the Easter Vigil in a livestreamed Mass on Holy Saturday, April 11, at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in the nation’s capital, and encourages people to seek the risen Christ.
“Easter is the feast that urges us not to look for Him in the tomb, but to remember He always goes before us, if we only take the time to search for Jesus with our hearts and our eyes open and always eager to find Him,” the archbishop says in his homily.
May 1, 2020 – In a ceremony at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., Archbishop Gregory reconsecrates the United States to Mary, joining bishops across the United States and Canada in rededicating their countries to the Blessed Mother’s protection during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In this difficult time we turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church and Queen of Peace, to ask that she intercede with her Son for all those who are affected in any way by this pandemic,” Archbishop Gregory prays during the livestreamed service.
May 13, 2020 – Archbishop Gregory celebrates the first All Schools Mass for the Archdiocese of Washington. The livestreamed liturgy at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center’s St. Ursula Chapel in Hyattsville, Maryland, was held to unite the archdiocese’s Catholic school communities together during a time of distance learning when school campuses were closed following government restrictions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Pointing to the example of young people who during the Catholic Church’s history have been declared saints, Archbishop Gregory tells Catholic school students, “You are also called to become saints, even now as you are still school-aged young people… The grace of the Holy Spirit can work wonders in and through you.”
May 15, 2020 – The Archdiocese of Washington sends a letter to local priests, notifying them that parishes can resume celebrating public Masses on May 25 in jurisdictions that allow them. That week, most jurisdictions within the archdiocese – which includes the nation’s capital and the five surrounding counties – announced that they were maintaining coronavirus restrictions, including strict limits on the sizes of public gatherings. The archdiocese also sends priests recommendations on planning for the resumption of Masses, with safety measures including Mass goers wearing masks, using hand sanitizer as they enter church, and maintaining a social distance from others in pews and as they receive Communion.
In a video message to local Catholics that day, Archbishop Gregory says, “It is important to understand that things will not immediately ‘go back to normal.’ Precautionary measures will need to be in place for the health and safety of everyone. And at least in some respects, we should not want to simply go back to the way things used to be.”
Archbishop Gregory also notes in the video message that, “In these past months, in the face of the coronavirus health emergency, we have experienced challenges and hardships unlike any we have ever faced as a nation, a people, or a Church. Our best and smartest first response – as in all things – is to turn to the Lord who comforts us and strengthens us. Our Lord walks with us and guides our way forward.”
May 21, 2020 – In a message posted on the Archdiocese of Washington’s website and on its social media, Archbishop Gregory marks the first anniversary of his installation as the archbishop of Washington by thanking local Catholics for their warm welcome.
“During this year, I have vividly seen first-hand how much the love of the Holy Spirit fills our archdiocesan family,” the archbishop writes. “The year has seen many great joys and, certainly more recently, some unique challenges. Thanks be to God that through it all, ‘We are the Lord’s.’ It is a comfort to know that as we continue on our pilgrim journey, there is still more for us to discover because love is an inexhaustible gift that continues to deepen, the more it is shared.”
May 31, 2020 – Archbishop Gregory issues a statement on the death of George Floyd, an African American man who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes during an arrest. “This incident reveals the virus of racism among us once again even as we continue to cope with the coronavirus pandemic,” the archbishop says. In his statement, he calls on people to “examine our own attitudes and actions in order to seek conversion from sin and turn our hearts towards Christ in order to end personal and structural racism… This moment calls us to be the Church of hope that Jesus Christ created us to be…”
May 31, 2020 –Presiding at his first public Mass since the coronavirus shutdown, Archbishop Gregory celebrates a Pentecost Sunday Mass at Our Lady of the Wayside in Chaptico, a country church in Southern Maryland, where local officials had eased restrictions on the sizes of public gatherings. The archbishop, who had been celebrating livestreamed Masses since mid-March, said, “I’m delighted to have my first Mass with you.” In his homily, Archbishop Gregory says, “Pentecost is the celebration of the Church’s birth and our designation as a community that may be quite diverse in our backgrounds and heritages but always one in our faith and through our worship.”
June 2, 2020 – Archbishop Gregory criticizes the visit by President Donald Trump to the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington on the morning after members of the National Guard fired rubber bullets and gas to disperse peaceful protesters from Lafayette Square across from the White House, clearing a path for the president to walk to St. John’s Church – which had been set afire during an earlier protest -- and hold up a Bible, a scene captured by photographers and TV cameras. In his statement, the archbishop says, “I find it baffling and reprehensible that any Catholic facility would allow itself to be so egregiously misused and manipulated in a fashion that violates our religious principles, which call us to defend the rights of all people, even those with whom we might disagree. Saint Pope John Paul II was an ardent defender of the rights and dignity of human beings. His legacy bears vivid witness to that truth. He certainly would not condone the use of tear gas and other deterrents to silence, scatter or intimidate them for a photo opportunity in front of a place of worship and peace.”
June 5, 2020 – Participating in an online dialogue on racism sponsored by Georgetown University’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, Archbishop Gregory says George Floyd’s death reminded him of “a whole collage of individuals who have been assassinated for no other reason than the color of their skin.” The archbishop says that for him, “a big sign of hope is the huge number of young people who have taken up this as a personal concern,” and seeing so many people, including many White Americans, marching together for justice gives him “a spirit of hope that somehow, this is more than a passing moment… People realize if we don’t work together, we will miss perhaps the most significant moment for real national transition that I’ve witnessed.”
June 20, 2020 – Ordaining eight new priests and one new transitional deacon for the Archdiocese of Washington, Archbishop Gregory encourages them to witness to Christ’s truth, which will enable them “to serve the Church with all of your heart.” At the Mass of Ordination at St. Catherine Labouré Church in Wheaton, Maryland, he notes that on that day, those being ordained were beginning “a new life in and for the Lord.”
June 30, 2020 – During an online discussion sponsored by the American Jewish Committee, Archbishop Gregory says that while America grapples with societal ills like racism and anti-Semitism, people of different faiths must reach out to and listen to one another, rediscovering that all religions teach that hatred is wrong, and teach the young members of their faiths that all religions call for respecting the lives of others. When asked if being an African American archbishop impacts the way he leads the Archdiocese of Washington, Archbishop Gregory – the first African American Catholic archbishop of Washington -- says, “I feel a special responsibility as a member of the African American community, but as the archbishop of Washington, I am not just the archbishop of African American Catholics, but of all Catholics of every age and culture and language. It is a dual responsibility.”
Aug. 12, 2020 – Archbishop Gregory appoints Kelly Branaman as the new Secretary for Catholic Schools and Superintendent of Schools for the Archdiocese of Washington. Branaman, who has held leadership roles in Catholic education for the archdiocese since 2003, had been serving as the interim superintendent. In announcing the appointment, the archbishop says, “Since my own appointment in Washington, I have personally seen in Kelly a faith-driven and experienced school administrator, who has played a critical part in our Catholic schools operations and planning since the beginning of this pandemic.”
August 2020 –The Archdiocese of Washington announces its reopening plan for local Catholic schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that after extensive planning, each Catholic school in the archdiocese developed its own reopening plan and had the plan reviewed and approved by the Catholic Schools Office’s reopening schools task force and will resume classes in a matter they have determined is best for their local school community. As the reopening plan was released, Archbishop Gregory says in a video that a great deal of planning was done to research and implement safe practices for return – which for schools offering in-person learning includes mandatory mask wearing, social distances in the spacing of desks, and temperature checks upon students’ arrival. According to the archdiocese, 28 percent of its 91 Catholic schools are following the distance learning model, 49 percent are providing a blended learning model, and the remaining 23 percent are following a modified classroom option.
Aug. 28, 2020 – At a Mass for Peace and Justice celebrated at St. Matthew’s Cathedral to mark the 57th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington, Archbishop Gregory announces the Archdiocese of Washington’s new initiative, “Made in God’s Image: Pray and Work to End the Sin of Racism,” which he says will include a wide range of pastoral activities and outreach including prayer, listening sessions, faith formation opportunities and social justice work. He says the initiative is being launched “in light of current events in our country and the need for ongoing work in the fight against racial injustice everywhere.”
Tying that effort to the legacy of the March on Washington, which he described as a “deeply faith-inspired event,” Archbishop Gregory notes that, “Ours is the task and the privilege of advancing the goals that were so eloquently expressed 57 years ago by such distinguished voices on that day. Men and women, young and old, people of every racial and ethnic background are needed in this effort.” He adds, “We are at a pivotal juncture in our country’s struggle for racial justice and national harmony. Believers and nonbelievers, sports stars and corporate giants, small town residents and urban dwellers must all engage in the work of reconciliation and unity building so that our common future will be better and more secure than the past.”
Sept. 11, 2020 – Archbishop Gregory helps ring in the new school year at St. John’s College High School in Washington, celebrating an opening school year Mass and afterward blessing the school’s new bell tower and ringing the bell. At the Mass, he encourages students and teachers to go forth with courage, taking on risks with faith. “Faith challenges us to risk doing the right thing,” he says.
Sept. 20, 2020 – Celebrating a Mass to inaugurate the centennial year for the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Archbishop Gregory says, “Like so many great churches throughout the world, this basilica is an enduring project of countless hands and gifts. But above all, it is the grace of God that has made such a beautiful tribute to the Blessed Mother possible.” The Mass commemorates the 100th anniversary of the placing of the shrine’s foundation stone, upon which the largest Roman Catholic church in North America was built to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Oct. 4, 2020 – In a statement on Pope Francis’s new encyclical, “Fratelli Tutti,” Archbishop Gregory says, “The title ‘Fratelli Tutti’ quotes St. Francis, who reminds us that we are all brother and sisters, no matter our race, creed, country of origin or where we now reside on this good Earth. I believe that this document has come to us at precisely the right time. COVID-19 obviously has not yet ended. Many have spoken about a ‘new normal’ when the virus will have abated. Rather, I think that we should make this tragic pandemic an opportunity to think about ‘a new different’ in terms of what we value, who we value, and that we are all in this together.”
Oct. 6, 2020 -- The Maryland Catholic Conference convenes a virtual town hall on police reform on Oct 6, 2020 that drew the insights of four panelists representing law enforcement, the state legislature, the legal system and the religious community. Archbishop Gregory notes, “Our nation has watched as too many African Americans have been killed or seriously wounded in an encounter with police,” but he adds it is important to remember that the vast majority of people working in law enforcement are dedicated guardians of public safety.
During the town hall, Archbishop Gregory mentions a personal issue regarding police – “the talk” that Black parents must have with their sons and daughters about being on their best behavior around police, so they are not subjected to police aggression. The archbishop says “the talk” was a fact of life for him growing up in Chicago decades ago, and remains a reality for Black families today, and he notes, “Until we get to the point where a young Black kid or a young Black man can feel safe when he’s encountering a police officer, you’ve got trouble.”
Oct. 11, 2020 – Archbishop Gregory blesses the new Saint John XXIII Residence for retired priests of the Archdiocese of Washington, saying he hopes that late pope’s joyful spirit will inspire residents there. The archbishop offers prayers and sprinkles holy water on its chapel and sections of the building in Hyattsville, Maryland, and afterward steps outside to bless a life-sized statue of St. John XXIII.
Oct. 18, 2020 – Celebrating the 11th annual White Mass at St. Francis Deaf Catholic Church in Landover Hills, Maryland, Archbishop Gregory highlights the inclusivity of Jesus, urging Catholics to “never forget nor neglect to welcome” all of God’s children. “Jesus is always inclusive in His approach with people, always finding ways to include all people into discipleship,” Archbishop Gregory says in his homily at the Mass. The White Mass sponsored by the Archdiocese of Washington's Department of Special Needs Ministries recognizes the gifts of persons with special needs.
Oct. 25, 2020 – Pope Francis names Washington Archbishop Wilton Gregory as one of 13 new cardinals from around the world, to be elevated at a Nov. 28 Consistory in Rome. In a statement, Archbishop Gregory says, “With a very grateful and humble heart, I thank Pope Francis for this appointment which will allow me to work more closely with him in caring for Christ’s Church.”
Later that morning, Archbishop Gregory celebrates a Mass at Holy Angels Parish in Avenue, to mark the 250th anniversary of its establishment as a mission. That Southern Maryland church is located near the cradle of U.S. Catholicism, a few miles from St. Clement’s Island, where Jesuit Father Andrew White celebrated the first Catholic Mass in the English-speaking colonies on 1634 after colonists from England made landfall there.
In an interview after the Mass, Archbishop Gregory says, “It takes us back to the beginning. I thought about it all during Mass, (that) I’m so close to the beginning of the faith here in the United States on this first day of the announcement of my appointment.” He adds, “It takes me back to the beginning of the proclamation of the Gospel and the care of God’s people” in what became the United States.
When asked what it means to him personally, and what it will mean to the nation’s Black Catholics, when he becomes the first African American cardinal in the history of the Catholic Church in the United States, Cardinal-designate Gregory says, “I’m deeply humbled. I know that I am reaping a harvest that millions of African American Catholics and people of color have planted. I am deeply grateful for the faith that they have lived so generously, so zealously and with such great devotion.”
The cardinal-designate Gregory says he hopes his appointment offers “a sign of the continued investment of the Church in the work of justice, peace and harmony among people.”
Oct. 30, 2019 – The Catholic Standard newspaper and website of the Archdiocese of Washington launches its Black Catholic Voices series with an interview with Cardinal-designate Gregory, who reflects on racism in society and the Church and the drive for racial justice. He notes the archdiocese’s “Made in God’s Image” initiative to end the sin of racism “means that we need to talk to each other honestly, charitably and we need to listen to each other, to hear the stories that are personal, the experiences that are personal, so that we can change our hearts. I’ve used this image before, I’ll use it again: To take down a granite statue of someone who was a Confederate hero, or someone whose political or social position encouraged segregation or discrimination, to take down those statues is important, it’s a step, but if we don’t change the human heart, all we’ve done is remove a granite statue while leaving our stony hearts unaffected.”
Oct. 31, 2020 – Cardinal-designate Gregory helps break ground for an expansion at the Catholic Student Center at the University of Maryland, saying, “Over time, you have simply outgrown your space. You need room to remain the disciples of Christ that you are and that you are called to become.” The expansion will double the capacity for seating at student Masses and will include a Eucharistic Adoration chapel and new spaces for offices and meetings.
Nov. 1, 2020 – Celebrating his first Sunday Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C., since Pope Francis named him as a cardinal one week earlier, Cardinal-designate Wilton Gregory says the Solemnity of All Saints offers a reminder and an invitation, that all people are called to be saints by living everyday lives of holiness. In his homily, the cardinal-designate says All Saints Day is “a feast to remind us that true sanctity is not something extraordinary or unusual. Sanctity touches everyday lives of ordinary common folk… The saints that we honor today probably once shopped at Safeway or Giant, mowed the lawn, maybe even got a traffic ticket or two for speeding by a hidden traffic camera, enjoyed going to the beach, baked chocolate chip cookies and did all of the things that regularly fill all of our lives.” What made them saints, he says, is that they lived their everyday lives with humility, and “with great love, with joy, with honesty and with faith.”
Nov. 10, 2020 – In a statement after the Vatican issued its long awaited report on former cardinal Theodore McCarrick’s rise in the Catholic Church despite allegations of abusive behavior, Washington Cardinal-designate Wilton Gregory says that disclosure was essential to help bring healing, calling it an “an important, difficult and necessary document.” He adds, “We know that if true redemptive healing is ever to commence - for those who have been harmed and for the Church Herself – this disclosure must be made.”
Cardinal-designate Gregory, who was installed as the archbishop of Washington in May 2019, has pledged transparency and honesty in dealing with the abuse crisis that had shaken the country and the Archdiocese of Washington in a personal way. McCarrick, who served as the archbishop of Washington from 2001 until his retirement in 2006, had been dismissed from the clerical state in February 2019 by Pope Francis, meaning McCarrick could no longer publicly function as a priest and was prohibited from any priestly ministry, after a Vatican investigation into allegations that he had abused minors and engaged in sexual misconduct with adults.
Noting that he, like the world’s Catholics, had not yet had the chance to read the Vatican’s lengthy report on McCarrick, Cardinal-designate Gregory says, “By virtue of the simple fact that this investigation had to be conducted and this report had to be written, my heart hurts for all who will be shocked, saddened, scandalized and angered by the revelations contained therein.”
Nov. 16, 2020 – Washington Cardinal-designate Wilton Gregory, reacting to the Vatican’s long-awaited report on the rise and fall of disgraced former cardinal Theodore McCarrick, says the report details a “tragic chronicle” about that churchman’s “unconscionable human violation” and also “failures of competence, communications and culture” by Catholic Church leaders.
In a statement issued as the nation’s Catholic bishops were gathering for their annual meeting -- held online this year due to the coronavirus pandemic – Cardinal-designate Gregory says he feels “deep sorrow” for those victimized by McCarrick “who should have been able to rely on the ministers of Christ’s Church to protect and respect them,” and he says the report “demands to be viewed through the eyes of the survivors and their loved ones.”
“As has happened too often in recent history, it revealed to me and to you dark corners of our Church of which I am deeply ashamed and profoundly angry – again, “Cardinal-designate Gregory says, adding, “It pushed into sunlight a culture that has too often served not to build up our cherished Catholic Church – Jesus Christ’s greatest gift to us – but to undermine it, far beyond the amoral ecclesiastical tenure of a single fallen cleric. Those of us in leadership have too often failed to understand, to acknowledge, to respond to, and to prevent the damage done to our innocent faithful – minors and adults.”
Nov. 17, 2020 – Cardinal-designate Wilton Gregory tweets a special message to Catholics of the Archdiocese of Washington and to Catholics in dioceses where he previously served, as he prepares to leave the United States for the Nov. 28 Consistory in Rome. In his tweet, he wrote:
“Friends in Christ, In NYC about to board a flight to Rome for the Consistory. My heart brings the people that I have tried to serve & love in Chicago, Belleville, Atlanta & now DC. Keep me in your prayers as I welcome Pope Francis' invitation to assist him in his service .+WDG”
Nov. 28, 2020 – Pope Francis elevates Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of Washington, to the College of Cardinals during a Consistory in Rome.
Pope Francis places the red biretta on new Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory of Washington during a consistory in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican Nov. 28, 2020. (CNS photo/Fabio Frustaci, Reuters pool)
